This invention relates to vehicle lighting and more particularly to ornamental covers suited for vehicle taillights, running lights and fog lights.
Various covers have been previously proposed for headlights and taillights of cars and trucks to accomplish different objectives, e.g. shielding or redirecting light or to protect the lights from stones or other objects. In accordance with the present invention and in contrast to the prior art it is conceived that a need exists for a decorative cover which can be used to ornament the lights, e.g. the tail, running lights or fog lights of a car, truck or other vehicle so as to display any well known decorative symbol such as a star, circle, crescent, rectangle or any of various other symbols such as numbers and letters, company or team logos.
However to be suitable, the cover must present a clear representation of the design or figure that can be easily seen and at the same time not reduce unacceptably the amount of luminous flux given off by the vehicle light. The Society of Automotive Engineers regulations, for example, place lower limits on the amount of light emanating from a vehicle taillight. Therefore, it is necessary to make a clear ornamental display while at the same time minimizing light reduction. In addition, however, the cover must be easy for a private individual, the owner of a vehicle, to apply without special tools or training and preferably also easy to remove when no longer needed or when it is to be replaced.
In view of these and other shortcomings of the prior art it is one object to provide a light weight inexpensive and flexible vehicle light cover that does not excessively reduce the luminous flux of light passing through it and yet at the same time is capable of providing ornamentation for the vehicle.
Another object is to provide a decorative light cover that can be applied without tools and can be easily removed for replacement when desired.
Another object is to provide a flexible light cover that promotes the transmission of light therethrough while at the same time providing a clearly visible decorative ornament for the vehicle that remains will remain securely in place on the vehicle lens, is reliable in operation and can be inexpensively produced and easily installed.
These and other more detailed and specific objects of the present invention will be better understood by reference to the following figures and detailed description which illustrate by way of example of but a few of the various forms of the invention within the scope of the appended claims.